Serissa Bonsai Trees

Serissa bonsai is also called snowrose.

Serissa foetida is an attractive little plant with a big secret: When you bruise or prune it, serissa emits an unpleasant odor. Fortunately, the smell doesn't last too long. Serissa has a naturally short stature, small leaves and masses of tiny flowers that make it a natural for bonsai. Although serissa bonsai isn't difficult to grow and grows outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 7 through 11, the plant can be fussy. It dislikes chilly temperatures, too much or too little water, fertilizer or sunlight, and reacts badly to being moved too much. Unhappy serissa bonsai trees shed leaves.

Plant Description

A serissa bonsai can flower year around, but produces its best floral show from spring to fall. The flowers are only about 1/2 inch across and may be white or pink, single or double, depending on the cultivar. Also known as "tree of a thousand stars" for its prolific bloom production, serissa has tiny, dark green to variegated green leaves with cream or yellow markings. As a shrub, serissa can grow up to 4 feet tall, so regular pruning is used to form the plant into its bonsai tree shape. Serissa can be trained to most forms of bonsai, from upright to cascading, formal and informal. The bark is rough and light to medium gray.

Culture

The sublime visual synergy of vertical tree and horizontal, shallow container is beautiful, but makes proper watering critical. In warm weather, serissa bonsai often needs more frequent watering, especially if their containers are shallow. The growing medium should be nearly -- but not completely -- dry before each thorough watering. Good drainage is a must for container-grown serissa bonsai, because continually wet roots invite diseases. The trees can be planted in regular potting soil, or you can use commercial bonsai mixes. Outdoors, plant serissa where it will get partial sun and the temperature doesn't get much below 50 degrees Fahrenheit. Indoors, the tree should get bright, indirect sunlight. Grow lamps can help provide the light serissa bonsai needs. Water-soluble, balanced fertilizer may be used roughly every two weeks while the plant is actively growing. Cut back on both water and fertilizer in winter. When the flowers begin to fade, you can remove them to get serissa to produce more. Prune the plant as desired to train it to the shape you've chosen for bonsai, and remove any suckers that try to grow at the base of the bonsai tree.

Tips and Considerations

A gravel tray filled with water and placed beneath the container helps keep serissa trees hydrated. Spending the summer outdoors before coming back inside for the winter makes a serissa bonsai happy. If the tree drops its leaves in protest at being moved, it will probably acclimate and put on new growth quickly. Serissa bonsai should be repotted about every two years and the roots and canopy pruned, as needed, for balance. Watch for spider mites, scale insects and aphids feeding on the foliage. These can often be washed off with the hose or kitchen sprayer.

About the Author

Audrey Lynn has been a journalist and writer since 1974. She edited a weekly home-and-garden tabloid for her hometown newspaper and has regularly contributed to weekly and daily newspapers, as well as "Law and Order" magazine. A Hambidge Fellow, Lynn studied English at Columbus State University.